Electrochemistry Projects
In the area of electrochemistry, building on the skills and experience of Dr Tunde Ojumu (Post-doc), who commissioned the equipment, and Mpho Namane (MSc Eng), who carried out initial electrochemical experiments in the bio-leaching of chalcopyrite, Thandazile Moyo (PhD) conducted an electrochemical and leach study of the dissolution of chalcopyrite in ammonium sulphate-ammonium hydroxide solutions, using pure mineral electrodes. These results showed that the effective oxidant for the mineral under the conditions of this study is copper (II) and not dissolved oxygen.
Projects
Mpho Namane
MSc (Eng) (graduated 2012)
Project Title: An initial electrochemical study into the (bio)-leaching of chalcopyrite
Supervisors:Prof Jochen Petersen, Prof Sue Harrison, Prof J-P Franzidis
Thandazile Moyo
PhD (will graduate 2016)
Project Title: A comparative electrochemical and leach study of the oxidative dissolution of chalcopyrite in ammoniacal solutions
Supervisors:Prof Jochen Petersen, Prof J-P Franzidis